Tag Archive: idioms

I’ve been thinking a lot about the twisted phrases, idioms, metaphors, similies and the like that we use. In writing and in day to day language. (Translation and plain language guidelines ooof!)

I’ve been listening to a phenomenal new podcast Turn of Phrases. The most recent episode addressed my question about “a bridge too far” which …I have probabally been using too much lately. But in my defense there are a LOT of things that are a bridge too far!

When you write non-modern things do you go out of your way to find older idioms and phrases? Do you seek out, or create your own phrases? I have tried to here and there. But it does make the writing both more immersive and sometimes much harder to read. But then the question is are you basically writing using current modern terms to describe something that is in a forgien language? I write in English, but what I write would be completely unintelligable to someone 500 years ago. And not just because I make up words, though that doesn’t help. So I fully expect it will be the same in 500 years in the future. Or maybe less. (I’m just making up the 500 years number.)